In three cases since 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court has seemingly strengthened the chronically anemic right to effective assistance of counsel. Padilla v. Kentucky, the first in the trilogy, indicated that defense lawyers must in some circumstances provide accurate information to their clients regarding the deportation consequences of a conviction. The Court then followed Padilla with decisions in Lafler v. Cooper and Missouri v. Frye that reaffirmed and clarified the right to effective assistance in plea bargaining. (See my post here.)

The issue includes commentary from several of the nation’s most astute observers of criminal procedure; the contents appear after the jump. I do have a few extra copies on hand and would be happy to forward them gratis to any interested readers of this blog. Just email me your mailing address (michael.ohear@marquette.edu).

EDITOR’S OBSERVATIONS

Cecelia Klingele, Vindicating the Right to Counsel

ARTICLES

Heather Baxter, Too Many Clients, Too Little Time: How States Are Forcing Public Defenders to Violate Their Ethical Obligations